Arizona Fishing

Note: Northern Pike have been illegally stocked in Francis Short. If you catch a Northern Pike at Francis Short Pond please REMOVE IT FROM THE POND.

WILLIAMS LAKES:
KAIBAB LAKE — Campground area is closed. Main parking lot and boat launch open for day use only. Scheduled to be stocked again this week. Some trout are being caught.

Where:Kaibab Lake
When:04/17/08
Caught:9 Trout
Technique:Spinners and Power Bait
Comments:Two anglers fished 7:30 to 12 noon. Water stained and very windy. Willie had not fished in 25 years, we had a great time.
Name: Ted

Where:Kaibab Lake WilliamsWhen:
04/12/08Caught:
Rainbow Trout… Too small threw it back
Technique:Corn & live worms
Comments:
Spent 8 hours admiring the beauty, but catching only one little fish. Nobody else was having luck either.
Name: Pat Michaels

Where:Kaibab
When:04/14/08
Caught:trout
Technique:Power Bait and lots of lures
Comments:the bite was slow could get them to hit a lure the fish we caught were on power bait the fishing is real slow and when they do bite its very light
Name: jared pensinger
CATARACT LAKE — Scheduled to be stocked this week. Campground is closed. Lake is open for walk-in fishing. Some fish being caught.

CITY RESERVOIR — Stocked with 900 rainbow trout last week. Road is open. Lake is full.

DOGTOWN LAKE — Stocked with 4,050 rainbow trout and the water temp. was 57 F/ Picnic area, main parking lot and boat launch are open for day use only. Some browns are being caught on lures.

JD DAM — Road is open. Stocked with 1,000 rainbow trout.

RUSSEL TANK - Has been stocked.

SANTA FE — Lake is full. Stocked with 450 rainbow trout. Anglers are catching trout and yellow perch.

WHITEHORSE LAKE — Stocked with 2,700 rainbow trout on April 25. No report from anglers. Campground is closed. Lake is open for walk-in fishing. Lake is full.

FLAGSTAFF LAKES:

LOWER LAKE MARY — A total of 28,000 trout have been stocked into the lake fishing is fair to good depending on the wind.

Angler report

Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:04/22/08
Caught:Trout
Technique:Green Power bait 8 - 12 inches off the bottom
Comments: I caught my limit of 6 in only 2 hours. The wind was down so it made the conditions perfect.
Name: John Hull
Where:Lower lake Marry
When:04/13/08
Caught:Trout
Technique:Silver and gold Spinners
Comments: Had a great day of catching-and-releasing stocker trout fishing was good and no wind was a plus. I was using small spinners changing the speed of the retrieve. Fish were hitting the spinner close to bank. Also make sure to pinch the barb of your hooks if planning to release the fish. I noticed people using Power Bait were not having the same success as people throwing spinners. It was also great see the number of kids out with parents.
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:03/30/08
Caught:35 rainbow trout
Technique:gold and silver spoons
Comments:
My son and I had a blast. We caught and released all 35 in about 2 1/2 hours. We would’ve caught more but decided 35 was good number to stop at. I should add that these trout are still small and need a couple of weeks to get bigger and that’s another reason we stopped fishing. As fertile as this lake is it should only take a couple of weeks!
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:03/31/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Fished a small black fly with red tail an hour before sunset. Caught one on the first cast, 12 inches. Also fished a black and yellow Panther Martin, caught a 10-inch one on that.
Comments: South side of the lake has lots of weeds to snag on. Try areas with steeper banks.
Name: Bob Harris

UPPER LAKE MARY — The lake is full. Some anglers have reported catching huge northern pike on frozen anchovies fished with little or no weight on steel leaders.

Angler reports:

Where:Upper Lake Mary
When:04/18/08
Caught:northern pike 21 1/2 lbs!!!
Technique:anchovies (fly-lined) on a steel leader w/ large catfish hooks.
Comments: My friend, Bob Bax, and I, caught 5 pike in 2 1/2 hours. The smallest pike was 10 lbs and the largest was 21 1/4 lbs (caught on 10 lb line and a trout rod)! The entire state is erupting right now! Fish ANYWHERE in the state with 4 lb test and a #6 hook (w/no weight) with a fat night crawler. Leave your bail open and wait for your line to go pealing out!!! This is the year! Good luck! I have fished many of the high country lakes this Spring, and Mary is where it is at! Go large with your bait and bring a friend to net the monsters! See you out there!
Name: danny iberri-shea
Where:Upper Lake Mary
When:04/05/08
Caught:5 northern pike 1@ 30 inches , 3 @ 24 inches 1@ 20 inches
Technique: anchovies , no weights,
Name:Tom Garbade
ASHURST LAKE — The lake is full. Scheduled to be stocked again this week. Fishing has been good when it isn’t windy. The road is open. Some bigger holdover trout are being caught. Some trout anglers are catching northern pike.

Where:Ashurst Lake
When:04/05/08
Caught:trout
Technique:rainbow KastMaster, trolling
Comments: The fishing is slow but patience will be rewarded. There are some huge hold-overs
Name: Corey Myers
FRANCIS SHORT POND – Stocked with 300 rainbow trout on April 25. Fishing was fair to good for trout on flies or Power Bait. Catfish are being caught on night crawlers. Please remove all pike caught to save stocked trout for the anglers

KINNIKINICK LAKE — Road Open. Scheduled to be stocked this week.

MARSHALL LAKE — Stocked with 900 rainbow trout on April 25. Open, accessible and stocked. No angler reports.

Angler report:
Where:marshall lake
When:04/09/08
Caught:rainbow trout
Technique:spinner/spoon slow retrieve with an occasional jerk of the rod. fish are about 6-10 in in length
Comments: caught all at the boat launch.
Name: Brian Atkins
OAK CREEK — Has been stocked. Fishing is slow for browns, but okay for rainbows. Stocked weekly.
Where:Oak Creek, Don Hoel’s cabins
When:04/26/08
Caught:1 Rainbow trout, and wife caught 1 bow
Technique:Flyfishing, tried Bead headed Copper John, Simi Seal Leach and Hopper.
Comments: Water was crystal clear but kinda low. Large slow pools with lots of fish, but didn’t catch any in the pools. Caught 10-inch rainbow in riffle using Simi Seal.
Name: Lonnie Nordby

Where:Oak Creek
When:04/16/08
Caught: Rainbow trout, brown trout
Technique: Different colored Power Baits and salmon eggs.
Comments: The rainbows were plentiful in places where they were stocked (when you could find them). We caught a few brown trout and caught our limits of rainbows.
Name: Mike McBeath

Where:Oak Creek Canyon
When:04/19/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Spin casting rooster tails
Comments:Fished below slide rock up to the bridge and into the park. Fishing was slow, water is still a bit high. Caught one rainbow just above the bridge in the park. Maybe the fish have not made it to below the bridge as of yet.
Name: Bradley Mihalik

LONG LAKE — Lake is open. Water level is good. Lake has been stocked with 4,300 trout. Some nice fish are being caught near the ditch. Two anglers report catching limits of trout from their boat but were challenged by windy conditions at times.

SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — Lakes are open. No report.

BEAVER CREEK — Has been stocked with 900 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 53 degrees. No reports.

Where:
Beaver Creek
When:04/10/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout & Bass
Technique:Night Crawlers no weight
Comments:Fished from the Bridge at the Camp Ground all the way up north to the Southwest Academy and only found a pocket of 8 Stocker Trout & 4 dead Trout and very few Bass. Water is clear. I would recommend that you try your luck south of the Bridge/Red Rock Ranger Station. Because we were unable to locate the 900+ Recently stocked Trout, north of the bridge!
Name: Jesse F.
WEST CLEAR CREEK — Has been stocked with 450 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 55 F. No report.

STONEMAN LAKE — NO FISH.

MINGUS LAKE – The gate is closed until the spring, but you can walk in and fish. The gate is scheduled to be unlocked the first week in May. Trout were stocked last on the week of Oct 15. Stocking should resume early in May. Try bright-colored Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or various spinners.

Someone illegally stocked yellow bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings cost YOU money!

Where:Mingus lake
When:04/23/08
Caught:Rainbow trout
Technique:Worms/rooster tails
Comments:Caught 15 in 3 hrs. Most fish were less than 15 feet from shore. fished bait 4 foot deep. Great place to take a kid, my boy had a blast.
Name: ac guy

MINGUS LAKE – The gate should be getting unlocked either this week or next week. Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week (April 28) and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12. Try bright-colored Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or various spinners.

Someone illegally stocked yellow bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings cost YOU money!

DEAD HORSE STATE PARK –Fishing has been hit-and-miss. While some angler’s are doing well, others are not as successful. One angler was having success on artificial flies. You might also try using KastMaster, worms, or Power Bait. Trout were last stocked the week of April 1; this was the last scheduled stocking for the year. Trout are still very numerous in both the middle and lower lagoons. The largemouth bite has picked up, so you may want to try throwing some plastics. Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small. This is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish. Try using a #8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success. While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small. Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or next year.

Catfish were stocked the week of Sept. 24, for Verde River Days festivities. Several largemouth bass, including a 10-plus pounder were caught last summer in the middle lagoon. In-line spinners, plastic grubs, and small crankbaits have been the ticket. The bluegill fishing has been good using a salmon egg or small worm on a small bait hook below a bobber. The bluegills are plentiful in both the middle and lower lagoons, so between trout and catfish stockings try your luck with the bluegill.

VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) – Trout were last stocked the week of March 17. This was the final stocking for the year. Look for the catfish bite to pick up in May. On Saturday March 8 Camp Verde Parks and Recreation and Arizona Game and Fish provided a fishing clinic at the White Bridge. While success was limited, all participants seemed to enjoy themselves.

Where:Verde River
When:04/24/08
Caught:2 Rainbow Trout and 1Large Mouth Bass
Technique:Fly-fishing, using pheasant tail bead headed nymph and flashback bead headed nymph.
Comments:
Water was low, slow and murky. Fished just above the bridge going into Dead Horse Park. Caught and released 2 trout and 1 bass in same hole. Trout were 10 inches, Bass was 6 inches. Also tried down stream from the bridge, but nothing.
Name:
Lonnie Nordby
LYNX LAKE — Rainbow trout were last stocked April 14 and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12.The fishing should improve following this stocking. Some 7-inch brook trout were stocked the week of Feb 25. Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on Jan. 3. These structures should protect small fishes from predation.

Brook trout were stocked in September. The brooks were in the 5-inch range, but hopefully they will be catchable size for the fishing in the spring. Game and Fish stocked catfish the week of June 4. There were 200 pounds of bluegill stocked on March 29. Game and Fish biologists surveyed Lynx in May and found that the brook trout stocked in September 2006 were still present.

FAIN LAKE —Fain lake was stocked rainbow trout the week of April 14 and is scheduled to be stocked again this week (April 28). While some were doing very well others were not. Try to fish were the water is clearer. Use spinners or bright colored power bait. Fain lake was stocked with brook trout on Feb. 25.

Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation held the annual Gold Fever Days at Fain Lake in mid October, were nearly all of the kids that participated in the fishing clinic caught fish. Five-inch brook trout were stocked in Sept. 24 and rainbows were stocked Oct. 12 & 15.

GOLDWATER LAKE — Trout were stocked April 21 and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 5. One angler reported catching a 13- and 14-inch trout in two hours of fishing. While there is no shortage of fish, most people report catching only one or two fish. Fishing should really pick up following the stocking this week. Try using KastMasters. If that does not work you may try worms or Power Bait. Early in the morning and in the evening the bite may be a little better. Some days the fishing seems to be better than other days as well. Bluegills were stocked Feb 25. Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March.

Where:Goldwater lake
When:04/23/08
Caught:trout- limit
Technique:Panther Martin lures worked great. Power bait was also working.
Comments:
The weather was beautiful, and the fishing was great.
Name: Andrew Samsill

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater during the middle of May last year and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish and bass was low, the quality was exceptional. One 16-pound catfish was sampled and released. The bass averaged about 3.5 pounds. On March 29, 2007, there were 400 pounds of bluegill stocked. These fish were hand-sized and should be easily caught. Try using worms or mealworms on a bobber. Small spinners may work as well. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.